An Ardent Path to Redemption
by thephaw
Summary: There was nothing that could stand between Sasuke and his revenge; not his closest friends, not his worst enemies, not even himself. His vengeance all but consumed him until he stumbled across someone who everyone thought was dead - Kushina Uzumaki.
1. Prologue: Kushina's Fate Pt 1

**A/N: **So... I was sick of Sasuke being all angsty and hell bent on revenge. Plus, I don't think I've ever read a fanfiction where Sasuke is mentored by... Kushina? No I'm not on crack. This fic is actually the horrible birth-child of lack-of-sleep, boredom, and unresolved theories regarding Naruto's mom. Yeah, we all know she probably died giving birth... but that's boring. Such a crappy fate for a potentially awesome character.

Anyways, unlike the other story I'm working on, the prologue starts with what happened to Kushina so I don't have to write long flashback chapters later on.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any of the characters... blah blah blah. You've read hundreds of these already. Rated T for language.

**Pairings: **Will be SasuSaku with hints of NaruSaku. Love triangles are win. Other pairings are undecided.

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**. : Prologue: Kushina's Fate - Part 1 : .**

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Madara Uchiha had thought it would be as simple as unleashing the frightening powers of the nine-tailed fox – taking the title of Hokage for himself or plainly wiping the village off the face of the planet, he didn't really care which – and performing his little victory dance when it was all over. Too bad the first Hokage put an end to that notion.

In retrospect, convincing the other Uchiha to rise up against the Senju was also supposed to be simple and everyone knows how that turned out.

Oh, and let's not forget how 'simple' it was to gather eight other missing nins, manipulate them into forming a single organization bent on controlling the world, and prevent them from killing each other from the sidelines. Seriously, even naming the damn organization wasn't as 'simple' as it was supposed to be; the group ended up killing Hidan twice, albeit accidentally, just so he'd shut up about wanting to name the group 'Fuck-_that_-suki' when general consensus had already been reached with 'Akatsuki'.

If Madara had learnt anything from all of this, it would be that the things in life that were supposed to be 'simple' rarely ever were; and that was why Madara's current plans were anything but. He now lived life as an avid believer of complexity.

A blood curdling roar brought Madara back to the here-and-now as he leapt through the lush forest canopies of Fire Country. Turning his orange-masked face towards the ever-so-welcoming sound, he caught the unmistakable glimpse of a giant furry beast of malevolence and contempt in all of its nine-tailed glory; watching as it tore a swath of destruction through the trees that dared to stand in its path. Madara admitted that the Kyuubi looked kind of cute and cuddly from a distance in that gruesomely terrible sort of way. Emotions swelled up inside of him, he missed the fox as a father might have missed a child.

In any case, Madara continued the pursuit, making sure to keep his distance from the nearly unstoppable 'natural-disaster.' He called it that because this time Madara didn't summon it. The Kyuubi merely appeared because enough human malice had accumulated and festered in the world, something that Madara had assumed was the result of the formation of the Akatsuki – the group whose idea of a fun time would likely involve using their jutsu to transform ponies and rainbows into grotesque mythical beasts that would shoot destructive elemental chakra out of its many butt-holes.

But what baffled Madara was the fact that the Kyuubi, and its natural inclination to seek out high concentrations of evil, headed towards Konohagakure. How could a village blessed with years of peace and prosperity out-malice an organization whose sole purpose was to bestow fear upon the world? Hell, Orochimaru and his eccentricities alone should have been enough to attract the nine-tails to the Akatsuki's doorstep.

_Oh well,_ thought Madara. _Guess I can't have everything go according to plan._

It wasn't long before the familiar walls of the village came into view. A string of explosions near the Kyuubi signalled the arrival of the first wave of Konohagakure's defenders. Madara closed in for a closer view of the action.

"We have to stand our ground until the Fourth gets here," shouted one of the defenders.

"It's too strong, we won't be able to hold out for long," cried out another.

"Let go of me!" screamed a child being forcefully carried away by a Leaf-nin. "My Mom and Dad are still fighting!"

"Get the Umino kid out of here!"

"**Pitiful fools,"** roared the fox. **"I will enjoy feasting on your flesh."**

_Oh Kyuubi-chan, still the same as ever, _thought Madara as he chuckled and scanned the area for a certain shinobi: The Yellow Flash, better known as the Fourth Hokage. Ignoring the raging battle around him for the most part, the Uchiha scratched his head when nobody even remotely yellow or flashy appeared.

A condensed black ball of concentrated chakra formed at the Kyuubi's mouth before hurtling towards the village earning more shouts and screams from shinobi and villagers alike. Madara avoided the resulting flying debris with ease, a plan formulating in his head. The Fourth was probably still in his tower barking out orders or preparing weapons and jutsu for use against the nine-tails. And if the Leaf-nin were buying time for the Hokage, then it was only fair that Madara should attempt to buy some time for the Kyuubi. The more destruction caused against the Senju, the better.

Madara wasted no time heading towards the Hokage tower. With the Kyuubi such a huge threat, Madara had no trouble at all sneaking through the village's defences. Infiltrating the tower itself was as simple as walking in through the front doors. He expected low security but this was ridiculous. _At least the Kyuubi attack was convenient,_ Madara noted to himself. However, something put him off. It was just all too... simple.

Snapping him out of his thoughts were a woman's ragged shouts of pain emanating from a nearby room.

"Hang in there Uzumaki-shisou," comforted another voice; a young girl's voice from the sound of it.

Madara stood in front of the door that muffled the offending voices, battling with himself on what he should do. On the one hand, he could just ignore the room altogether and continue towards the Hokage. On the other hand, he was really curious to see what was going on inside. _Sneaking by is simple,_ he reminded himself. _Simplicity is the enemy._ Shrugging with brand-new resolve, Madara knocked on the door amidst the fitful moans of pain.

"Who is it?" asked the younger sounding voice.

Madara's body stiffened. _That's right... who the hell am I supposed to be? _Madara didn't exactly plan anything so he improvised. "Umino," he answered, remembering a name he heard outside, adding for good measure: "I have orders from the Fourth."

"From Minato!?" he heard the pained woman say. "Tell..." she panted, every word becoming louder than the last. "...that _idiot _to _hurry_ up with the Kyuubi and get his butt back in here!" Her last words came like a storm, angry and loud, even through the door.

Madara backed off a little. _Who was that crazy woman?_ He thought. Just as the masked intruder was about to have second thoughts, the door opened up and a girl with shoulder-length brown hair and purple marks angled across her cheeks greeted him. Wearing a simple brown shirt and gray skirt, she looked to be no older than fifteen.

"What is it?" she asked.

Madara, now too lazy to improvise another lie activated his Mangekyou Sharingan and performed the Tsukuyomi on her, watching as she fell seconds later into a quivering heap on the floor.

Thankfully, the other woman looked to be behind curtains at the back of the room so Madara slid the brown-haired girl outside before stepping towards the curtains in the room and pulling them away... something he'd probably regret for the rest of his life.

"Rin!" screamed the red-headed woman. She was lying on the bed with her legs propped up and spread wide... absolutely nothing obstructing the view between them.

_Oh Kami, she's giving birth,_ croaked his mind as he turned around impossibly fast to sneak back out.

"Wait! Where's Rin?"

Madara picked up his pace towards the door. "She... uh... supplies... for baby-making..." he stuttered.

"And where do you think _you're_ going!?" she growled... her words chilling him to his very core. Honed battle senses alarmed within Madara and he turned around to face her, ducking instinctively when he caught the sight of her hands intertwined a seal. A blast of water shot out from out of nowhere, slamming the door to the room shut and sealing it from the inside. "_Nobody_ is getting _out_ of this room until the _baby_ is _out_ of _me_! _Understand?_"

He nodded instinctively. _Oh Kami, the messes I get myself into... Maybe I should just use Tsukuyomi on her too,_ he thought. Another ball of water slammed into his chest as if answering his thoughts.

"Don't just _stand_ there!" she shouted between pants and deep breaths. "Wash hands... get towels... NOW!"

Intrigued with the entire situation, he decided to play along. Besides... when he mentioned the Fourth, she called for Minato. Could she be the Fourth's wife? The cogs running Madara's brain spun full force. _Oh the possibilities._

"Right!" he answered, grinning wickedly underneath his mask. When he found the towels though, his head cocked to the side in question. "What do you want me to do with these?"

The firey red-head threw a glare that Madara felt would kill lesser men. "Put them... under..."

Madara, completely clueless throughout the process only did as he was told, staring between her legs with a mix of uncertainty and astonishment, wondering how a child could possibly fit through _that._

Unfortunately for him, he was about to find out. She let out an aggravated shout more horrific than anything the Kyuubi could ever come up with. As the crowning began and the baby continued its agonizingly slow exit, Madara could only imagine the humorous combinations of _Fuck, Shit, Cunt, Bitch, and Bastard, _Hidan would be letting out if he were here to witness this.

Finally it was all over and Madara took the tiny boy into his hands, removing the umbilical cord and wiping the infant clean as he was tiredly instructed.

"Well, at least I learned something new today," he said.

"Give him to me," she demanded. "Let me see my baby."

The Uchiha gladly complied, carefully passing the blanket-wrapped baby over to her, and watching amazed as the red-head's personality changed instantly from a controlling and aggressive crazy-woman (in his opinion) into that of a caring and nurturing mother.

Scratching his head, Madara offered his congratulations. "So, what's his name?"

"Naruto," she cooed to the tiny infant. "Little Naruto."

Madara was genuinely surprised at this. "Naruto? Like the stuff in ramen?" he asked. "Well, it's your kid I guess."

The woman softly giggled and looked up at him. "Umino was it? Thank-you."

"Oh. My pleasure," he replied. "Though, I don't think I've ever been more freaked out in my life."

-x-

Kushina looked lovingly at her new bundle of joy. Soft yellow hair tickled her lips as she kissed Naruto's head. "You look just like your father," she said to him just as a loud crashing sound from outside startled her.

"Oh no, the Kyuubi!" As if waking from a daze, she turned towards the orange-masked ANBU in the room. "I'll be fine now," she said. "I'm sorry for keeping you for so long. You better hurry out, I'm sure they need all the help they can get."

The ANBU lifted a finger to the chin of his mask and looked up, as if in hesitation. "I would... but I'm not exactly a Konoha-nin."

Warning sirens sounded in her brain the moment he said it. Suddenly, Kushina felt so... vulnerable; something she hadn't felt since her Genin days back in whirlpool country. Instinctively, she clutched Naruto's frail body gently and protectively as her eyes narrowed into a glare at the masked ANBU. "What do you mean, you're an ANBU aren't you?"

"ANBU!? What gave you that id—oh wait," he interrupted himself, clutching the Konoha headband he had wrapped around his neck. "Sorry for the confusion, this isn't mine."

Kushina's eyes broadened. "Then... who are you?"

"Guess there's no harm in letting you know," he said casually as he pulled off his mask. Black-hair, wrinkled face... and the Sharingan. "I'm definitely not Umino, whoever that is."

"You're an Uchiha!" she declared. Her thoughts spun into confusion as a mix of relief – because the Uchiha were part of the police force – and apprehension – because he still had no idea who he was – stirred within her mind.

"Nice to meet you!" he said cheerfully. "I'm Madara. Care to listen to my story?"

"Story?"

"It's a funny one," he started. "So... I came here following the Kyuubi hoping capture it, you know, so I could take my revenge on Konoha—"

That was all Kushina needed to hear. With one arm holding Naruto, she lifted her free hand into a seal, instantly forming tiny pellets of water. And before the man claiming himself to be Madara could react, she shot the water bullets at the Uchiha, watching as they tore little holes through his vital points.

_Is he dead!?_

"Guess you really hate stories, huh?" Kushina flung her gaze in the direction of the voice, a shocked expression on her face when she realized he was sitting casually right next to her on the bed... smirking. Her hands instinctively formed another seal and a blast of water jet upwards between them, forming a clear wall.

Madara disappeared again and she frantically scanned the room. She found him, back turned towards her, standing near the door and she immediately performed several one-handed seals. Mist exploded around her, fogging up the room before gathering to form a large school of liquid piranha that shot out towards their target. The Uchiha didn't even bother turning to face her. He merely raised a single hand and blocked the attack with casual disdain.

"Careful," he said. "Wouldn't want to hurt little Naruto, would you?" Madara turned around... _holding Naruto in his arms?_ _WHAT!?_

Kushina looked down with a jerk at the 'Naruto' she was supposed to be holding and fought back the urge to just pass out when the child transformed into several ravens that flew erratically out of her arms. "Naruto!"

"You've been in my genjutsu since the kid's birth," explained Madara lazily. "But don't worry, I won't do anything to Naruto. Isn't that right, Naruto-kun?" Madara playfully twirled a finger in front of the infant's face. "He's kind of cute."

_He has my baby!_ Feeling utterly helpless in this situation, Kushina wanted to cry or call out for help, but doing so would likely victimize her Naruto. "What the hell do you _want_?" she asked desperately.

Madara seemed to ignore the question. "One-handed seals, water-jutsu..." he started. "Long blazing-red hair, eyes deep and blue like the depths of an ocean... I recognize you from your bingo book description. You're Uzumaki, aren't you? Kushina Uzumaki."

She glared. "And what if I am?"

He shrugged. "Didn't think I'd find the last Uzumaki here... wait, uh... guess you're not the last one anymore." He began playing with Naruto again. "You know, Naruto-kun? You don't look anything like your Mom, here."

"Stop it!"

He ignored her again and pulled out a bingo book. "You're an S-class in other countries... not surprising," he said, smiling. "You're pretty scary. Oh and your nickname... Shinigami's Brush... earned because you—"

"Get to the point," spat Kushina.

Madara sighed, snapping the bingo-book shut. "I liked you better when you had a baby in your hands," he said. "Want another?" All the crows perched in room cawed as if on cue and Kushina shuddered. "I guess I won't take up too much more of your time."

Kushina looked up and vague hope filled her eyes.

"Kushina... Kushina... Kushina...," he said. "I'll give you a choice. You... or your son?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked warily. Her entire body tensed.

"A gift," he answered. "...a token of my gratitude for allowing me such a wonderful experience."

"Gift!? I don't want any gifts. Just leave!"

Madara shook his head, a little disappointedly. "I'm afraid one of you will have to accept it, whether you like it or not. And I can't tell you what it is either... it would ruin the surprise."

Cold sweat dripped down Kushina's face. She was already exhausted physically and mentally from giving birth... and now this? _What the hell is this gift? Is it dangerous?_ Kushina continued to struggle with her thoughts. It could be the gift of death for all she knew.

"You better hurry or do you want me to choose for you?" he replied happily.

Kushina clenched a handful of the bed sheets. "Me..." Kushina blurted out. "Give your gift, or whatever, to me. Just please... leave Naruto alone." Kushina was on the verge of tears at this point.

"Hmmm," said Madara, an amused grin anew on his face. "I really wanted to see how it would work on an infant... but I _did_ give you the choice so..." With a single wave of his arm, all the ravens perched in the room suddenly flew at her... towards her face. Kushina tried to bat them away to little effect. Painfully, they began forcing themselves into her mouth. She tried to bite down to stop them, tried to scream, tried to breath. She could do none of these until finally, the last black raven entered her mouth and down her throat.

She gasped for air and fell back onto the bed. It felt as if her eyes were burning. "What did... you do... to me..." she said between pants. Strength faded from all her muscles... she could barely move any of her limbs.

"You should be thankful," proclaimed Madara enthusiastically. "I gave you some of my power. It's called Kamui and you'll know exactly what it is when it awakens..."

All of a sudden, Naruto began crying. Kushina struggled to reach out to him. "Naru... to..." she pleaded.

"Oops, almost forgot," he said as he tucked Naruto between Kushina's arms. "Don't want him peeing on me or something."

Relief swept over Kushina when she felt the tiny frame of Naruto in her hands once again. His crying slowly died down as he fell asleep.

"Well, I gotta go check up on Kyuubi-chan. Say hi to your husband and the rest of the villagers for me," he said. Kushina gazed up at Madara, noticing how his expression suddenly turned serious just before he re-equipped his mask. "But be quick... because they'll disappear before your very eyes."

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**A/N: **So yea, you can probably tell where I got my inspiration for the whole Kushina thing. Itachi gave Naruto a bit of his powers (haven't seen it yet, though) so why can't Madara give some of his... albeit for an entirely different reason.

I like reviews, so tell me what you think. I hope Madara wasn't too out of character. I find him hard to write. I didn't really know how to write Kushina either, so I just went with the whole tomboyish personality with mother-like qualities.


	2. Prologue: Kushina's Fate Pt 2

**A/N:** Hey guys, thanks to those who actually read and reviewed this story. Honestly I just wanted to write up my take on Kyuubi vs Yondaime... yay for mindless action.

Sorry for the long prologue. Next chapter is where my story really begins... you know... with Sasuke and everything.

If anyone is wondering about my other story, Kingdom of Konoha, its currently being picked apart by beta-readers but it'll be updated soon. I actually still need a beta-reader for this story. (sigh)

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**. : Prologue: Kushina's Fate – Part 2 : .  
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**_Let me tell you a little story; one regarding the Kunoichi known as Whirlpool Country's Shinigami's Brush._

_It has been said that every artist dips their brush in their own soul, and paints their own nature into their pictures. Perhaps there is truth to this, even within the world of the shinobi..._

_...because I saw her once... moving like an instrument in the skillful hands of a painter upon the canvas of the earth; flowing hair seemingly soaked crimson in blood. Her enemies prayed foolishly for guidance and victory. They should have _prayed_ for the mercy of a swift portrait... for I have seen that it is death which hides beneath_ her_ soul. _

_

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_Despite the loud ringing in his ears and the throbbing burns across his body – despite his hugely aching head and the swelling webs of _hurt_ across his hastily mended limbs – Minato had never been more filled with determination. Planted firmly upon the back of Gamabunta, he managed to distance their battle against the Kyuubi from the village; not that it made any difference on the relentlessness of the fox's assault.

"Well, he's away from the village, now what?" bellowed a tired Gamabunta, wary of the dark, lightning spewing, storm clouds above them and the five twisting cyclones spinning erratically across the battlefield. "Ya know, if it were anyone else who summoned me against this beast, I would have never agreed to fight."

Minato somehow managed a cheerful smile. "That's what family is for, right?"

"Heh, even family has its limits, Minato," croaked the boss-toad, leaping high into the air as two of the Kyuubi's tails lashed out against the duo. With a giant katana in each hand, the toad parried the two tails in mid-air while spitting out three balls of water in retaliation. A black beam of pure chakra erupted from the Kyuubi's maw, tearing through the water like an arrow shaft through drops of water and Minato, using a swift blast of wind, knocked the airborne toad to the side before the beam could vaporize the two of them.

"Not good!" informed the toad-boss as he landed, digging both katana into the crumbling earth as they slid into a rocky stop. "At the rate we're going, my chakra isn't gonna last much longer. I've only got about half of it left."

"Loan me some more," requested Minato as he pulled out several inscribed kunai, embedding one deep into the rough skin of the toad. "Last time, I promise."

"Ow," complained Gamabunta. "That better be the last one, I'm sick of being your pin-cushion."

The Kyuubi let out another roar, adopting a familiar stance; a terrible and dangerous stance.

"It's charging up another Menacing Ball, now or never!" cued Minato. "You know what to do." The toad wasted no time, thrusting both katana into the ground firmly before using them as leverage to leap directly towards the fox with both webbed-hands extended. Minato seized control of the inordinate amounts of chakra leaking out of the toad's hands, pushing the limits of his chakra control by spinning and twisting the chakra into a single ball.

"NOW!" shouted Gamabunta as the Giant Toad Chakra Rasengan stabilized.

On cue, Minato threw twenty kunai all at once in such a way that they flew directly above each other and away from the Kyuubi. They didn't call him 'Konoha's Yellow Flash' for nothing. Starting with the kunai closest to the ground, Minato teleported to each one; spinning wind-elemental chakra in a wide circle around him. By the time he reached the highest kunai (a few seconds later), a terrible cyclone had formed all around him, connecting with the raging lightning storm above.

Meanwhile, Gamabunta's Rasengan collided with the incomplete Menacing ball forming at the Kyuubi's mouth. The resulting violent blast was so powerful that it tossed both beasts away from each other, leaving a smouldering crater of molten rock where they had met. A small _poof_ on Gamabunta's back signalled the return of the Fourth who immediately forced wind chakra to cushion the toad's fall. The Kyuubi, having nobody to do the same, was throw backwards like a rag doll into one of the five – now six – cyclones that Minato had created. The fox let out a pained roar, its body bisected by the unnaturally powerful storm, falling with two loud crashes onto the floor.

"Heh, we got him!" cheered Gamabunta.

"No time to rest, we _have_ to get closer," directed Minato, more exhausted than ever. "Hurry!" Both toad and summoner could plainly see the tendrils of flesh, blood, and chakra that shot out from one half of the Kyuubi's body to the other. It wouldn't be long before the Kyuubi became whole again.

With Gamabunta continuously feeding chakra into the Fourth, Minato guided his six cyclones to surround the regenerating Kyuubi.

It wasn't long before the Kyuubi's eyes lit up again, like flickers of gas. **"You..."** snarled the fox despite its body being not quite fully reconnected. **"...actually injuring me like this... You're stronger than you look."**

"Oh? A compliment?" replied Minato, panting as he continued to struggle with his cyclones. "A little strange coming from you."

"**Kukuku,"** laughed the fox menacingly. **"Even **_**I**_** have a sense of honor."**

"Enough honor to leave our village alone?"

A challenging growl answered that question, but by that time, Minato had already positioned his cyclones like a cage around the Kyuubi.

"What now, Minato?" asked Gamabunta as a pair of giant frogs exploded into existence beside him. The two frogs held their two front webbed palms towards their boss, sending their chakra to him. "We won't be able to hold him in forever."

Minato pulled out a single inscribed kunai, the key to his space-time teleporting jutsu, and placed it on boss-toad's head. "Just keep him in there for as long as you can," replied Minato, a somber expression forming on his face. "It'll all be over soon."

-x-

Hiruzen Sarutobi rushed to the Hokage tower as fast he humanly could. Around him, the village was in chaos with civilians trying to escape in fear while the shinobi attempted to calm them and restore order. Minato had ordered every ninja to defend the village by staying away from the Kyuubi. Reluctantly, everyone had agreed; not because they wanted to, but because they all held a deep respect and trust for the Fourth. And Sarutobi was no different, which is why he headed towards Kushina, the Fourth's wife, and their newborn child.

Rin's unconscious body sprawled awkwardly in the empty hallways of the Hokage tower alerted the former Hokage to possible danger. He approached with caution, checking to see that she was alive.

"Rin! What happened?"

The Yondaime's student moaned painfully in response.

Sarutobi, hands forming a hasty seal, created a shadow clone. "Take her to the hospital," he ordered. "And alert the other ninja of a possible intruder." The clone nodded and carefully carried her off as the original crept towards Kushina's room.

Like a shadow, he entered, and quickly scanned for enemies. Relief eased his mind when he found only Kushina lying peacefully in bed with the newborn child sleeping in her arms. _What happened here? _he thought. With added haste, Sarutobi pulled out the inscribed kunai given to him by the Fourth and threw it against a wall. Before it struck, it exploded into smoke and the battered form of Minato came into view.

"How is she?" Minato asked immediately, eyes widening at the signs of battle within the room. "What happened here?"

"I don't know; possibly an intruder. I found Rin barely conscious in the hallways and sent her to the hospital."

Minato, angry at himself for this new development, tried to wake Kushina with no success. "How could I have let this happen? We have to find out who did this! We have to find out why! We–"

"—have no time!" interrupted Sarutobi. "The best thing we can do for her now is to let her rest. I'll get to the bottom of this incident. You _know_ what you must do."

"But..." argued Minato through clenched teeth. His eyes drifted over to his son sleeping peacefully in Kushina's arms and momentarily he forgot everything. "Naruto..." he said smiling proudly, tears glazing his eyes. "Haha, can you believe it, Sarutobi? I'm actually a Dad! He even looks like me!"

It pained Sarutobi to break the moment but, "Minato..." he ruefully said.

"I know." Minato leaned down, taking Naruto into his arms as he gave one last fleeting kiss to Kushina. "I'm sorry," he said to her, knowing she probably couldn't hear it. Composing himself, Minato bowed his head in a slight nod at Sarutobi, cuing the old man to form another shadow clone, watching as it carried Kushina away towards the hospital.

"She'll be fine," assured the old-man.

"Well, guess we shouldn't keep the Kyuubi waiting," said Minato and the Third took hold of Minato's shoulders, both of them exploding into smoke that quickly dissipated into their new location on top of the toad-boss.

The demon fox furiously bellowed out, no doubt trying to free itself from its makeshift prison.

"This is it," said Minato to Gamabunta. "It's a shame we couldn't share that last drink together, Boss."

"You sure there's no other way?"

Minato shook his head in response.

"Then I'll miss you, kid. You were always my favourite," bellowed the toad.

Minato grinned. "You better not tell Jiraiya that."

Gamabunta's expression turned serious. "We'll only have once chance at this. Make it count, Minato."

Minato nodded and felt the toad-boss drawing the last of its chakra to his hind legs. With one thunderous crack, the ground underneath them split asunder and Gamabunta took to the skies, leaping impossibly high over the cyclonic prison holding the demon fox.

Wrapping chakra protectively around Naruto, both Minato and Sarutobi jumped off into the epicentre of the prison. Sarutobi used some wind jutsu of his own to guide the group down as Minato performed the necessary hand-seals to his Dead Demon Consuming Seal jutsu.

A shinigami, robed in a white, appeared immediately. Its tattooed hands were already painfully jutting out of both Minato and Naruto's stomachs, causing the latter to wake up and cry. Sarutobi barely managed to cushion each of their landings onto the Kyuubi's back, Minato on all fours with Naruto eerily floating between him and the Kyuubi's back.

By the time the fox noticed this, it was too late. The shinigami's translucent hands had already latched onto the Kyuubi's soul. **"What are you—Aaaaargh!?"** wailed the demon fox. The arm began pulling the gigantic soul into Naruto. **"Fools! You will... regret... this..."** The fox offered fierce resistance but Minato did not relent, using his remaining chakra to keep the fox's tails in check with wind while Sarutobi spat out mud, creating a shield of hardened earth that spun protectively over the group.

Soon after, the fox's lifeless body fell onto the ground with a crash, the crying Naruto falling gently on his back onto the soft fur next to Minato.

"N-Naruto..." stuttered the blond to his screaming son. His expression softened at the sight of the infant, but his vision was beginning to blur. He felt the icy touch of the Shinigami's hand latching onto his soul, pulling hard. Minato desperately fought back, not to live, but to pass his final words because he knew there was no turning back; at least not anymore.

"D-don't hate me for this, my son..." Minato struggled breathlessly. "You'll... you'll be a hero. No... you _are_ a hero. Be strong... okay? And take care of your mother for me... I'm... counting... on you." He slowly turned his head towards Sarutobi. "Old... man... One last... favor?"

"Minato..." replied the old man solemnly, trying his best to beat back the grief. "Yes... anything."

"My family... and the village..." he struggled. "Pr-protect... them..." Minato gave the old-man a final grin before inevitably succumbing to the shinigami. All at once, the raging cyclones around them disappeared, rain falling from the clouds above like tears trying to wash away the tragic battle.

"I will... Minato," replied Sarutobi as he held Naruto in his arms. "I will..."

-x-

Kushina awoke, reaching for the child that was no longer in her arms. "Naruto!?" she gasped, eyes opening wide.

"Kushina, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Sarutobi?" she asked, feeling a little distraught and confused. "Where's Naruto? Where's my baby?"

"Kushina, you need to calm down. Minato has him," he explained.

"Minato?" The features softened on her face, if only momentarily. "So that means that Kyuubi was defeated... right?"

Sarutobi looked away, silent.

"Right!?"

Still no answer.

"Sarutobi, answer me!" she demanded, eyes narrowed in frustrated anger.

"He's still out there," replied the old man reluctantly.

"Still _out_ there!?" she repeated. "But you said Naruto was..." The realization hit her like a brick wall. Without warning, she flung the blanket off of herself and jolted towards the open window, long red hair flagging behind her.

Sarutobi reacted an instant later, struggling hard to keep her back.

"Let go of me old man!" she screamed. "I have to bring them back! I have to save them!"

"There's nothing you can do!" asserted Sarutobi. "Not in the state you're in."

Tears leaked down her cheeks as she struggled a little more. Finally, her legs buckled and she crumpled to her knees onto the floor; Sarutobi supporting her shoulders. "He promised..." cried Kushina. "He promised me he wouldn't use that jutsu... he promised he'd come back to me."

"You know there was no other way."

"No!" she shouted in denial, rushing for the door spontaneously. Again, Sarutobi managed to hold her back and Kushina felt more hot tears crawling down her cheeks. "Why...?" Her head was spinning and her chest was more than aching – it was throbbing, burning, clenching so tightly she could hardly breathe.

She was so worked up she didn't even notice a pool forming on the floor, not of tears but... _blood?_

"Kushina?" asked Sarutobi, sounding concerned. "Are you bleeding somewhere?" So she wasn't imagining things. She let Sarutobi spin her body around to face him, wondering why his eyes expanded in surprise... wondering why his face was distorting into a spiral... wondering why her head hurt so much. "Kushina! You're eyes!"

"Huh!?" She quickly shut her eyes and rubbed an arm across her face as if to wipe away the tears. Opening them again, she surprised herself when her arms were smeared with blood instead of tears.

"Kushina! Look at me!" demanded the Third. She did. "Sharingan!?" he blurted out. "Why would have the Sharingan? And the Mangekyou at that!"

Again, parts of Sarutobi's face and body began distorting into little spirals, a little faster this time and giving her a headache. She forced her eyes closed but the pain persisted.

"What happened in that room?" he asked a little forcefully. "Tell me!"

"I-I... I don't know," admitted Kushina. "There was a man... an Uchiha. He said his name was Madara—"

"—What!? Impossible!"

"...helped me deliver Naruto," she continued despite the interruption. "I didn't know he was... I thought... but then..."

"Kushina, you have to stay calm."

She nodded, taking in a deep breath. "Then... he said something about a gift. He said he gave me some kind of power."

"Give you power?" he mused incredulously.

She looked up at Sarutobi again, his visage distorting into a spiral even faster than the last time. Instinctively she shut her eyes tightly, trying to shake the pain away. "Dis... Disappear..." she recollected.

"Disappear?"

"He said that everyone would... disappear."

"What do you mean?"

"I... I don't know." The throbbing in her head, once like jack hammers pounding into her brain, suddenly vanished without a trace. Her eyes no longer burned. Her pounding heart began to stabilize.

"Kushina...? Are you alright?"

She nodded. But when she slowly opened her eyes once again, all she could see was death.

* * *

**A/N:** Cliffy? Not really. If it's not painfully obvious what's about to happen to Kushina then I fail horribly as a writer. It'll be explained in more detail with a short flashback.

Next chapter will actually start the story. Hint... it'll start at the end of the battle between Sasuke and Naruto at the Valley of the End.

Also, I tried to google up an existing nickname for Kushina and couldn't find one so I made one up: Shinigami's Brush. Yea I know... lame. I seriously couldn't come up with anything else for the life of me. If someone can come up with a better nickname for her, let me know!


	3. Arc I: Ch 1: Reunion?

* * *

**. : Arc I: Chapter 1: Reunion? : .  
**

* * *

"_It's not meaningless, because to me, you have become a close friend."_

That was it. Those were the words that lingered in Sasuke's head after the fight – his own words. It was almost as if, with that single sentence, he had summarized all the tangled feelings he held during the struggle against Naruto in the Valley of the End.

He stared down at the unconscious blonde with empty obsidian eyes, paying little attention to his own pained panting and the rain that pitter-pattered around them. Instead, he tried to recall the memories he had with the loud-mouth; everything from their freak kiss to the times they saved each other's lives. The best times... the worst... they all came back into his mind for a moment, then vanished as if they had never existed.

Because like a ghoul haunting him, the face of his older brother, Itachi, once again rose from the depths of his memory to blot out his other thoughts.

"_You can also obtain the same Mangekyou Sharingan as me."_

That's right. Power was what he needed. Gaining strength was the meaning of his life; the strength to defeat his brother.

"_But there is a requirement..."_

Family? He had none. Friendship? That got him nowhere. Love? What a stupid notion. None of these would make him stronger. In fact, they were all nothing but weaknesses.

"_...you must..."_

He needed to get rid of these weaknesses. Loneliness is the answer. Pain is the answer. Only pain can make people stronger. If you can survive through the despair, you can survive through anything.

"_...kill..."_

And the fastest way to achieve this pain and loneliness was to murder the one person who may have understood him; the one person who he never really wanted to let go...

"_...your closest friend."_

Naruto. He had to kill Naruto. Sasuke gripped a kunai in his hands and knelt down beside the blonde, pressing the cold edge against the skin of his friend's neck. But as he continued to add pressure, a familiar feeling threatened to burst out of his chest... disgust.

Sasuke released the kunai on reflex, staggering backwards before throwing up in utter revulsion. He was about to do exactly what his traitorous brother wanted him to do. It was despicable.

"_If you want to defeat me, live in the most despicable way, hate me, survive through the ugliness..."_

_Live in the most despicable way. _"No!" he shouted out. "I will _not_ be your puppet, Itachi." Sasuke scrambled to his feet and ran... just ran as fast as he could into the forests. _I will achieve power my own way... I will kill you my own way._ _And it will be under my terms, not yours._

-x-

Sasuke must have fallen asleep for just a moment because he was suddenly jolted awake by the sudden lack of branches to jump across. Instead, his feet found nothing but air and he fell on all fours onto the hard ground. When he finally managed to look up, suddenly there was Amegakure. He rubbed his eyes and stood up, trying hard to ignore the aching that stretched across his body. Every cell seemed to be giving him signals, urging him to rest, or at the very least get some sustenance. And so he grudgingly gave into the urges and made his way into the village in search of a food stand or inn; he reasoned that Orochimaru was still about two or three days away, so he'd need some supplies for the rest of the trip anyways.

Sasuke only managed to make one step past the gates before something slammed hard into his side, forcing back onto the ground.

"Oww! Watch where you're going!" came the angry outcry of a woman's voice, before adding: "Are you blind or something?"

Gloweringly Sasuke tried to get up but anxiety suddenly struck when he found that he couldn't; his body must have been in worse state than he thought. _Shit, why am I so weak?_

"Hey, you're not dead are you?" asked the voice before its owner popped into line of sight, looking over him. The first thing he noticed was a symbol-less ninja-headband tied across her eyes like a blindfold.

_She called _me_ blind? _thought the Uchiha furiously. Still, when she offered her hand, he grudgingly latched onto it and managed to get back onto his feet as she pulled him up. Sasuke eyed her warily. "You're a ninja of this village?" he asked, watching as she seemed to give him the look-over. He wondered how she could possibly see with the headband over her eyes.

"Oh this?" she answered him, pointing to her blindfold. "It's not really a ninja headband... I'm just the humble owner of a ramen shop. Sorry for bumping into you, I was running a little late so—" The woman suddenly interrupted herself, her eyebrows furrowing in anger. "—wait a minute, why am I apologizing? You're the suspicious one. You're not another one of those missing-nins are you? And aren't you a little young to..."

Sasuke ignored her scolding for the most part, opting instead to take in her appearance. She wore a tight full-body black jumpsuit, only it looked like she was also wearing a short-skirted blue one-piece dress overtop of it. Strawberry-red hair was the highlight of her features. Long bangs were parted elegantly and fell down both sides of her head, seemingly resting on her bosom while the rest of it cascaded down her back, stopping at her upper-thighs. She looked to be in her mid-twenties... maybe even younger. But like Tsunade, whom he met only briefly, something about the way she spoke made her seem old enough to be his mother.

"...and you're not even listening to me are you?" she finished, exasperated. "Who are you anyways?"

Sasuke waved off the questions. "None of your concern," he said plainly. Suddenly, though, a low grumble in his stomach alerted both of them to his hunger. It wasn't his usual kind of hunger either. This was serious hunger – the kind when you've been traveling relentlessly for over a day without anything to eat.

"Food?" she offered.

Sasuke threw her a look full of disdain but eventually decided there wasn't anything untrustworthy about her. "If you're willing to feed a missing-nin like me," he answered.

She sighed. "Follow me..."

The pair awkwardly made their way to wherever her ramen shop was, jostling their way through the surprisingly busy streets as they did. Occasionally, the red-head would crash into others and go through an amusing cycle of confusion, anger, and rushed apology; but surprisingly, for a blind person, she held her own through the crowds. How she was able to even find her way around was beyond him.

But it wasn't long before they reached their destination, arriving to the friendly complaints from a pair of waiting customers.

"Kushina! About time."

"Do you know how long we've been waiting?"

_Kushina? So that's her name_, mused Sasuke.

Kushina waved off the two old men. "I'm late every day," she said. "You should be used to it by now."

"You could at least change the hours on your sign," said one of the seniors as they took their seats.

Sasuke eyes wandered over to the aforementioned sign, his expression turned incredulous as he did. "Icharaku Ramen?"

"Oh?" said Kushina as she made her way behind the counters and slipped on an apron. "You know it? I learnt the secret-recipes from old man Icharaku himself. But wait a minute, if you know Icharaku... you're from Konoha aren't you?"

The two old men looked him over quizzically. "Who's the kid, Kushina? Konoha you say?"

Kushina shrugged. "Ask him yourself."

Sasuke threw on a frown. "It's none of your business," he scoffed as he took up his seat. The old men grumbled something about youth and respecting elders but Sasuke paid no attention to them.

Finished with her preparations, Kushina turned towards her customers. "So... the usual for you two?" The old men nodded in response. "And what do _you_ want, kid?"

"Pork ramen," answered Sasuke.

"Coming right up!" With that, Kushina began her work.

The familiar feeling of unease suddenly caught up to the young Uchiha, though. Something was wrong... Warning bells rang loud and clear through his entire body... it felt like an aura of death was engulfing him. Sasuke resisted his urges to activate his Sharingan, however. There was no doubt in his mind that he may wind up agitating his curse seal if he did. Instead, he searched around himself for the source; it arrived as a strange hooded figure cloaked entirely in gray. The figure was about Sasuke's build and height, and took up a seat right next to the Uchiha.

_Kuso, _thought Sasuke. _Who is this guy?_

Kushina turned around as she asked for his order in a bored tone.

"I'll have what he's having," said the figure, pointing over to Sasuke.

Kushina raised an eyebrow but little else. "Pork ramen? Coming up."

Sasuke tossed furtive glances to the new arrival seemingly every second. The cloaked-figure did little to warrant any suspicion but the suffocating feeling continued to persist. The two old men at the end of the counter idly chattered with each other and Kushina seemed to be toiling away without a care in the world. Was he the only one who could feel it? Was he being targeted?

"Here, you two," said Kushina as she set two steaming bowls of pork ramen in front of them, pausing to get a better 'look' at her new customer. "Another unfamiliar face... and you look as young as him," she stated, motioning over to Sasuke. "_You're_ not a missing-nin, Are you? This village has been attracting a lot of them lately."

And though Sasuke couldn't see underneath the boy's hood, he could have sworn there was a sly smile beneath it. "Not at all," replied the hooded boy. "I'm just... _looking_ for someone."

Sasuke's heart began racing. _Looking for someone?_

"And who would _that_ be?" asked Kushina casually. "Not that I'm trying to pry or anything."

"Oh, not all," assured the boy between mouthfuls of ramen. "You might even be able to help me. I'm looking for a Sharingan-user. Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke started choked on his own ramen, fitfully holding back coughs as he did.

"An Uchiha?" asked Kushina, sounding surprised. "Hmm... can't say Sasuke rings a bell though. Maybe you should ask him? He's from Konoha." Much to Sasuke's dismay, she motioned over to him.

"Is that so..." The hooded figure finally turned to Sasuke, revealing glimpses of white hair and a pair of glasses underneath. And though they were only glimpses, it was enough... Sasuke knew who this boy was...

...Kabuto. _Guess he's here to make sure I make it to Orochimaru._

"I think I'll save my inquiries for later," said Kabuto when the Uchiha failed to respond. "By the way, this ramen is pretty good."

"Thanks," responded Kushina, handing the old men their bowls of ramen. With nothing left to do, she leaned on the counter, casting her questioning gaze over to the two boys. "So... do you two have names? Or am I going to have to beat it out of you?"

"Kabuto," offered the white-haired boy without an afterthought as he pulled off his hood. "Pleased to meet you... um..."

"Kushina," she finished for him. Kabuto smiled and gulped down another torrent of noodles.

"And you...?"

Sasuke hesitated. "U..." he started before the uncomfortable aura seemed to thicken all around him – squeezing him even. _Was Kabuto telling him not to reveal his identity? _Sasuke guessed that made sense. No point in giving Konoha tracks to follow. But what name would he use?

"U...?" repeated Kushina.

"U..." struggled Sasuke before finishing with the only name, besides his own, that came to his mind, "Uzumaki." Right when he said it, the feeling of unease got worse... much worse. _What... the... hell?_ Sasuke's head whipped over to Kabuto who merely shrugged and gave him a smile; one of those knowing and deliberate ones.

"Uzumaki...?" Kushina also smiled at him... though somehow it looked a little somber. Suddenly, the feeling of danger waned and Sasuke managed to release a little of the tension within himself. Kushina persisted, though. "You're a little young for me to be calling you by your last name aren't you? Mind giving me your first name?"

Sasuke saw no reason not to, so he continued with his facade as casually as he could. "Naruto," he said. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

And just like that, the feeling returned. Only instead of suffocating him like before, it exuded a presence of warmth. Sasuke was intrigued. _Is this feeling really from Kabuto...?_ Sasuke looked over at the bespectacled boy again. This time, he discreetly shook his head and motioned his eyes towards Kushina.

"Is that so...? For my son, you're a lot different than I thought you'd be."


End file.
